The New Student
by Carnage
Summary: Okay, been busy for a HELL of a long time, and I now have time to do the stories. I will get on to the rest of them soon.
1. Prologue

X-men Evolution: The Beginning  
  
Prologue  
  
All right, I'll give disclaimers! I don't own X-Men (love to! Rogue is SO fine!), and certainly am not going to sell this (who would buy it!!!), so please don't sue the ass of me and my penniless person.  
  
The bald, old, tired man sat in a wheelchair in his pyjamas close to a large bank of computers. He had on his head a strange helmet, connected by thick wires to the bank of computers. This man, the tired old man, was in fact the creator of the worlds greatest protection team, the X-Men. His powers more than made up for the fact of the loss of the use of his legs, a present of a Nazi soldier in World War 2. He did not seem to look much, thanks to his modest ways, but the man who sat in the chair was the most powerful psychic in the world. He sighed, studying the readout of the screen in front of him. This did not look good.  
  
He didn't even look up at the soft footsteps behind him. When he had heard the beeping of the computers, he had not wished to awaken Ororo, the woman otherwise known as Storm, a powerful elemental averter – in other words, she controlled the weather. Thanks to the Professor, the young woman was no longer controlled by her powers. She was now his helper, pushing him around his mansion, and showing him the simple reasons to keep living, despite the use of his legs. She was the one who had unwittingly given him the idea of the X-Men. It had been long before he had known what he was, just after he had helped calm her powers. She had been pushing him through the gardens, a long forgotten pastime since his electric chair, but he had been in the pit of depression then.  
  
He had sullenly accepted the invitation to the lake nearby, and he watched it glitter in the sun. He had looked at Ororo as she reached out and a butterfly landed on her finger. He always marvelled at her, at how her beauty shone through her, even though she contained a beast within. She fondly had covered the insect, before holding it out to him. He had stretched out his hand, the butterfly landing on his hand and flapping its wings. He had held it close to him, then he had looked at Ororo, who was looking out over the lake. She had seemed deep in thought then, and then she had said dreamily, "Just think of this, Professor. Just look at the beauty. What would happen to it if a misplaced individual came? What if there was no-one to protect these free lands, where each and every one of us live in our own little world?"  
  
He had looked at her, deep in thought, then he said, "Well, Ororo, what could we do? I, who have lost the use of my legs, could not be of much use to anyone. And you, for what you are, would be shunned and repelled from the hands of those you would try to help…" he had then slipped back into depression. Ororo had knelt before him and looked into his eyes. He had turned his head, she always unnerved him when she did that.  
  
"Professor, even the smallest man can make a difference. And even if I were shunned, where would the fault be in trying? If we made no attempt at all to help a dying people, like America and Ethiopia, would that not be a sin? I am new to this way of life, and have much to learn. As do you, my mentor." She had smiled then, and I had seen within her eyes what she saw in her image of the perfect world. She saw no prejudice, and no pain. It was then that she remarked, "Why, Professor, I do believe I have shaken you from your stupor. I see in your eyes the hopes and dreams of your youth!"  
  
I had been very confused. "But Ororo, I just saw that image in your eyes!" She had shaken her head, and then said the sentence which I have never forgotten:  
  
"Professor, what you see in my eyes is but the reflection of yourself. Before, when you looked in my eyes, all you saw was the shattered shell which you had been. But now you have realised again what you saw in me; Hope never dies, no matter what shape or form it comes in, and as all Hope is the same, so is every person." I had smiled at her, and then she grabbed the handles at the back of the chair and wheeled me away from the lake.  
  
From that moment, I devoted all my time and vast riches, which I by now had plenty of, and started on my project. What I had thought of, I never knew, but it had spurred me on, and my idea grew until it had taken shape outside of my mind.  
  
Back in the present, I heard a low growl behind me. I jerked and twisted my chair around. Logan stood nearby, another student of mine from long ago, who was now a mentor at this academy.  
  
"What's up, Chuck?" he growled, moving closer and looking at the screens. I saw his eyes especially focus on 'Advanced Mutancy' flashing in red.  
  
He groaned. "Ohhh, boy. That doesn't mean what I think it means, does it Chuck?"  
  
I ignored the nickname. "Yes, it seems we may have another Juggernaut on our hands. We must reach him before the Brotherhood do."  
  
"So, I'll wake the kids and prep the jet while you fill them in." He turned and started to walk away. I smirked at his back, then thought it cruel to wake up the children.  
  
"Logan?" He turned back to me.  
  
"There is no need. He is already here, and he has been heading here for some time. He will be at the door in a few minutes."  
  
Authors Note: Ooh, scary! Who is the new mutant? What can he do? What is his past? Read next time, on : THE BEGINNING! 


	2. New Beginning Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
The young man sat in the hiding place, a twisted knot of tree branches and bushes, and looked towards his quarry, far away and yet very close. The warmth of the rain was strange for him, as he came from far up north, where rain was always accompanied by frost and ice the following morning. He looked out to the mansion again, seeing it far in the distance, looming above the trees like some sacred monolith. He looked around again, and then darted out of his hiding place toward the mansion. He stopped again near another hiding place he had spotted previously, and then blew on his hands, which were covered in gloves. In fact, every square inch of the teenager was covered in clothing, thick, woollen and tight. He looked out again, and the lights from the mansion shone on his goggles which covered his eyes. The balaclava which covered his mouth like a muffler acted to make his words almost unhearable in the dashing rain and the 'plops' of rain falling off the trees, but the words still made it out of his mouth.  
  
"Almost there, almost there…"  
  
There was only one reason he was hiding, for he had seen a young man darting between the trees earlier. He was making sure he wasn't within seeing distance in any direction. He HAD to see Professor Xavier.  
  
He remembered travelling here, and remembered the reason why he had come here. They were painful to remember, but he held onto them anyway, the remnants of his old life…  
  
It had been but a few months ago, when he was at home and celebrating his 16th birthday with his family. He could almost taste the sweet taste of his cake now, the blue icing, the fresh, home-made jam which has mother had made the previous week. He had wondered where she had been then, when he needed her, and instead had been greeted by his cruel, mutant-hating father. His mother. How he wished he was home to look after her. His father was probably still telling lies to her about his 'runaway act'. His father was tall, strongly built, with dark brown hair which was long and tied in a ponytail at the back. He was a mechanic, and he spent many a day under a car before coming home. Or so the family had thought.  
  
He knew better. He had walked to his fathers workshop on one occasion, to surprise him, but he saw him in a backroom. The lights were dim, but he could still make out through the keyhole a banner in faded red paint; 'FOH – THE TRUE FRIENDS OF HUMANITY!' That had really boiled him up. They were a new racist group, the Friends of Humanity, almost as bad as the Ku Klux Klan, who despised and hated mutants, and tried to rid the world of them. He was now himself a mutant, but then one of his best friends at school had been one, a very minor one, but a mutant none the less. He had always wondered why his father had detested his friends.  
  
After he saw the flag, the light in the room went off. Puzzled, he tried to see more, but then his father had walked out the door. His ponytail had bounced as he stormed in the room, saw his son at the keyhole, then proceeded to scream at him.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU RATNOSED LITTLE WEASEL!! NOSING INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS? I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DESERVE, MY SON!!" He had followed his word, and had lashed him within an inch of his life, chasing him down to the end of the street. Him and his father had never got on well, but now it was almost arctic temperatures whenever they were in a room together. He had made up an excuse to his mother about his bruising, as he knew she loved him very much, but he had almost spilled the beans when his father arrived home. He clapped him on the shoulder and had said, "Well, Boys will be boys, eh, Margaret?"  
  
Five days after he had had his birthday, his Mutancy began to show. His father found out the first day he arrived home, and had proceeded to beat him relentlessly for daring to be one. He had run away four days afterward, unable to take anymore, and had hitched a lift down towards California. He knew that was where Xavier lived, he knew, as his name and face had been on the new recently. His father had always called him a 'mutant loving freak', and he had never dared protest. His mother must be frantic now.  
  
He shook his head, perhaps to get rid of the memories of his past, but they painfully stayed there. He shook his head again, then dashed up to the front door of the looming mansion in front of him. As he ran up to the door, the rain lashing down against his back, his face twitched, as if he was struggling hard. A look of horror crossed his face, and he ran faster. He slammed into the door with his shoulder, full speed, but the door didn't budge. He rattled the door handle.  
  
"Come ON, COME on!" he cried, rattling it harder.  
  
Behind his frantic form, a shape was coming closer and taking form. A red flash from his glasses lit up the back of the boys head. He cried and turned round.  
  
A man was standing behind him, not older than 19, with brown hair and a blue jacket on. He had brown jeans, and he couldn't see the colour of his eyes as they were covered by his red-tinted glasses.  
  
"Stop! Stop there!" the kid cried.  
  
The man pause where he was. The kid, breathing hard, looked bedraggled and more than worse for wear.  
  
"Look, kid, I just want to get inside. Rain, see? Though you obviously don't get to touch most of it," he muttered, looking over his covered form. He inched closer.  
  
"I said stay back! I mean it!" the kid cried.  
  
"Alright, Alright!" He skipped back a bit. "So, is there any chance of me going to bed tonight? It's just that Jean already knows where I am…"  
  
"I don't care! Just…stay…back…nnnnghhh…" the kid leaned forward, and lifted a hand to his goggles. "What the hell...? My eyes!"  
  
The man darted forward, only to have the kid thrust his head up, his eyes glowing red even through the goggles.  
  
"I…TOLD YOU…STAY BACK!!" The kids eyes flashed ruby once, and the man backed up.  
  
The mansion was bathed in red as the kids goggles were blasted off his face. In his direct line of sight, the man turned and ran only to be hit in the back by an immense amount of power, and was blasted through the trees. Far away, there was a sickening thud.  
  
The young man turned his head away from the man he had blasted, and his new power melted the door handle, and blasted the door off its hinges. He closed his eyes, and then peeked through with slitted eyes. No more ruby light appeared in his vision. He opened his eyes fully, and finally stepped through the door. He turned around, and picked his goggles off of the ground.  
  
"I was sure thick clothing would help…" he groaned. Now he had to explain a potential murder to Professor Xavier. He turned towards the mansion, and entered. The furnishings of the place was exquisite. Well, Professor Xavier WAS the richest man in California, what did he expect? But… red carpet? Wasn't that for royalty? He sighed, turned…  
  
And was face to face with a head sticking out the wall.  
  
"Yikes!" he cried, and pulled his head back from the girls head. He could tell it was a girl as she walked through the wall more, yawning with her hand on her mouth and stretching. She wore a blue nightdress and no slippers, and her brown hair bounced on the back of her head like a basketball. Her blue eyes looked at him piercingly, making him sweat.  
  
"I, I, I can explain," he babbled, as the girl looked at the door and at him.  
  
"Well, if you can explain THAT clothing, you're better than I am. Don't, like, worry about the door, it kinda happens all the time!" The girl had a Californian accent, and looked mostly like the girls he had seen at the mall. They usually had the same type of personality too – looks but no brains. He groaned, thinking of how hard it would be to explain anything to this girl.  
  
"Close your mouth, you fish, you'll totally catch flies! What's your name, anyway?" She looked at him quizzically. He held his breath…and fell through the floor up to his shoulders.  
  
"Oh, that is so cool! I thought only I was, like, the one who could do that! I mean, it's so cool!" she squealed. He, on the other hand, was not so pleased. His clothes were crumpled, though they had phased through the floor with his body, and his muffler was almost strangling him.  
  
"Any chance you could help me up here? This is kinda weird, having half my neck in the floor!"  
  
"Oh – my – gosh! I am so selfish! Here-" She tugged on his arms really hard, and almost pulled off the top half of his body.  
  
"OW ow ow ow ow! Stop! You're tearing me apart!" She crouched on the floor, and thought. "Well, usually I just take a deep breath to-"  
  
"Right, thanks! Bye!" He gasped, before he slid through the rest of the floor, and fell into the room beyond. He heard her cry above him as he landed on all fours, "Wait! I didn't even ask your name! Oh, well," she tutted. Her footsteps moved off, and he crouched in the darkness, fully aware and at home in his surroundings. He saw the boxes and suitcases around him as if they were bathed in a milky white.  
  
He looked around some more, and his eyes set upon the door. It looked a bit sophisticated, with a keypad next to it, and it looked like it slid apart like the doors on Star-trek. The keypad next to it seemed to be very simple, only 9 numbers. He smirked. This should be easy, he thought.  
  
It was a little more difficult than he thought. He very quickly put in the right combination, but as soon as he had, a little pad next to the keypad lit up red and a voice said, "Please place left thumb on control pad to allow access." He placed it in the correct place, thinking it very similar to a government agency facility. It stayed red, as he had thought it would.  
  
"Present person has not been entered into database. Access denied." He groaned as the computers voice faded away into the rest of the room.  
  
"Oh, well, gave it a shot, OW!" he cried suddenly, as the thumb pad gave him an electric shock. He looked at the thumb pad curiously.  
  
"Present person has not been entered into database. Access denied. Further inquiries without correct access code will be severely reprimanded." He removed his thumb. He didn't like this. Not one bit. He sat down on a box and waited.  
  
After maybe half an hour of thinking and scheming, he suddenly heard someone singing coming closer to the door:  
  
"(anyone know German? Put in the 'Great Escape' tune here. In German, of course!)!" He jumped off of his box and pounded on the door.  
  
"Hello? Who's that? Is anyone there? Can you get me outta here? It's cold and dark in here!" He scratched his head. It had seemed good to say at the time, (every person in a dark room says it), but it just sounded petty from where he stood. He waited, watching the door with anticipation.  
  
"Vat? Keety, are you in there? You can just phase out!" a guy with a severe German accent answered.  
  
He decided to play along. "Well, I can't get out! Open the door, will ya?"  
  
"Fine, fine, just wait there. If this is another of your stupid tricks…" he muttered.  
  
"No, no, it's nothing like that!" he said, and crossed his fingers. He looked at his fingers, as they felt weird. He stared in shock.  
  
His whole hand was covered in short, fine blue hair, and his left and middle two fingers were…well, there was no better way to describe it, were melting together, and they had joined up to make only three fingers. He held it in front of his face, as he heard his trousers rip from a tail bursting from his trousers.  
  
"What the…?!" he groaned, as he felt pressure in his head and flashed out of sight as Kurt, otherwise known as Nightcrawler, opened the door. He waved away the smoke and smell of sulphur with a three-fingered, blue hand, and coughed as he shouted out, "That's it, Keety! I'm just going to leave you there next time!" He paused before he turned, and remarked, "Nice stink- bomb, though," then walked off down the corridor, his tail swishing behind him. 


	3. New Beginning Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Okay, I admit it, I have a real problem. I keep cutting off my stories in mid-paragraph! This is only cause I hardly ever get through a chapter without losing ideas, or reaching a writers block. Sorry!  
  
"Hey, Kitty," Jean said as she passed Kitty, deep in thought, down the corridor that led to the main door to the mansion. "Hey, you haven't seen Scott, have you? He left about an hour to do some training in the woods."  
  
"No, I, like, totally haven't. What is it with that guy, anyways? It's like he has nothing better to do than train! I mean, what a bore-meister! How serious can you get? Maybe Kurt was right about him, he is way too serious..."  
  
Jean sighed. "Kitty, we all know why he's like that. We are after all, the protectors of humanity, and he IS our leader, remember? He has so much more to worry about than a normal teenager, even without his exams coming up. Maybe Professor Xavier is putting too much pressure on him." She leaned closer to Kitty. "Can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Yeah, totally! Cool!" She hopped and clapped her hands, excited. Jean leaned down and whispered in her ear.  
  
"I saw him sneak out to Professors Xavier's study one night, when he thought I was asleep. I followed him, and after he entered, the lights in Xavier's room turned out! How weird!"  
  
"You reckon he's like, sleeping with the Professor? Ewwww!" Her face twisted in disgust.  
  
"No, I don't think that's it, Kitty!" Jean blushed. Kitty snorted.  
  
"That's only cause you like, totally fancy him!" She nudged her in the ribs. "Go on, admit it, girl, you do! You just try and not let us find out, I've seen the way you look at him!"  
  
"What way?!" Jean shrieked, while going redder.  
  
"You know." Kitty crossed her arms. She had a pout on her face, and looked ready for a good argument, though the grandfather clock was set at 2 o'clock.  
  
"Look, Kitty, I don't have time for this, I have to find Scott!" She pushed past Kitty, blushing furiously. Kitty followed her, keeping pace with her to the main door. They argued all the way down, Kitty pushing her and Jean pushing back, until they reached the main door, where Jean exploded:  
  
"FINE! I do, will that shut you up?! Jeez, there's no peace in this place!"  
  
Kitty looked ready to retort, when suddenly the door flung open, shutting them up.  
  
It was Scott. But what a mess he looked! His brown jacket had bits of twig all over him, and water ran from his hair in rivulets. His trousers were caked in mud, like he had fallen over many times. Even worse, he didn't have on his red glasses, and had his eyes screwed shut.  
  
"Scott!" Both the girls cried, and ran to him. He collapsed into their arms, and his breathing slowed, becoming more peaceful.  
  
"He's fainted. Help me get him to the stairs, Kitty."  
  
Kitty nodded, and hooked her arms underneath Scott's legs, while Jean gripped him under his arms. They dragged and lifted him to the stairs, then lay him down at their base.  
  
"Scott? Scott! Speak to me, come on, Scott," Jean pleaded, stroking his rain-streaked face. They heard Scott hearing his throat, then a croak came out, stuttering.  
  
"J-J-Jean? Where am I ? Wh-What happened? My head hurts..." he moaned, leaning his head into Jeans shoulder, and passed out again.  
  
"Scott? Scott?! Kitty, he's passed out again, help me to the landing and I'll try to contact the Professor. I hate waking him up, but this is serious..."  
  
Kitty only nodded, wide-eyed, staring at Scott's unconscious form.  
  
Like, wow, what could have done this to him? Blob's out of town at the moment, so what could have done this? Like, totally freaky! Kitty thought.  
  
Jeans eyes creased in concentration, and she put a palm to her forehead as she contacted the Professor.  
  
Professor? Are you awake?  
  
Yes, indeed, Jean. I can see your predicament through the link. Stay there, Nightcrawler and Wolverine will join you soon. It is imperative that you STAY WHERE YOU ARE, Jean, it is very dangerous around the grounds if Scott has been rendered unconscious. I will investigate. The link faded, and with it, Xavier's voice.  
  
"Wolverine and Nightcrawler are on their way, Kitty, we have to stay here. The Professor said something dangerous is on the grounds."  
  
"Like, you don't have to tell me twice!" Kitty exclaimed. "Just look at him...Uh, sorry?" she said at Jeans crestfallen face. Scott moaned again, and turned his head to show the huge bruise, about the size of an egg, that covered half his forehead.  
  
"Oh, Boy, he's going to have a headache in the morning, huh? Oh, lighten up, Wolverine will be here soon, what could happen?"  
  
He reappeared, about 5 metres above the ground. He screamed out as he flew to the floor, as he knew the powers of the kid wouldn't stay long. Even as he fell, his fingers re-emerged, grew apart, and the tail slurped back in his body. The fine hair covering him disappeared, and he screamed again as his head hit the side of a chest of drawers in the corridor. He moaned, and saw someone's head appear above him as everything faded to black.  
  
Jean sat, not speaking, for the entire time that it took for Nightcrawler to reach them. She was very upset over Scott, and not only were Kitty's efforts useless, but also Kurt's, who was much more adept at the art of the joke. She cracked a weak smile, once in a while, but that was it.  
  
"Like, where is Wolverine? He should have been here a few minutes ago."  
  
"Do you reckon that he's been delayed by whatever hit Scott? Oh, well, we can't wait. Alley oop!" With that, Nightcrawler lifted Scott onto his shoulders, whistling, and walked upstairs, toward the medical room. Jean and Kitty looked at each other, amazed at his strength, and then swiftly followed him.  
  
They met Logan walking towards them in the third junction to the medical room. He pulled Scott off Kurt's shoulders without a word, then motioned for them to follow him. They barraged him with questions.  
  
"What took you so long?" was the main question uttered by the three.  
  
"I had a little - problem to take care of before I had to meet you. He's in the medical room too, and will probably be out for a few hours, if I'm any judge." He glared at them, as if to say he was the best judge they knew of here.  
  
"Spike's been hurt? Oh, did the thing get him, too? Oh, dear."  
  
"No, someone else. Professor Xavier is with him in the adjoining room, and will join us for a short while. He has to keep an eye on him, see?" He growled, daring them to ask who he was on about.  
  
"At least the rest of the students are in bed, still. The others won't hear of this till the morning, but I can bet my whiskers that they'll be madder than a bear with a burr up its butt," He said.  
  
"Try saying that three times quickly," Kurt whispered to Kitty and Jean, who giggled despite themselves.  
  
"That'll mean extra time in the Danger Room to practice, so they can cool themselves off without causing any costly repairs." Wolverine chuckled to himself.  
  
"Aw, man!" the three trailing behind groaned.  
  
***  
  
The kid woke up slowly, groaning. His head twisted to the right, slowly, and he saw a dark-haired teenager lying next to him. The kid slept with his glasses on, which was weird.  
  
He shook his head to clear it, as he twisted his legs to get off the bed. He was still wearing his clothes, which were dry while the bed was soaked, but his sneakers were on the floor next to a door with a light under it. He'd have to be quiet, then.  
  
He tiptoed over to the door, and slowly picked up his shoes. As he sat down to pull on his shoes, he heard voices through the door.  
  
"How is he, Logan?" an old, clear voice asked.  
  
"Just checked on him, Chuck," a throaty growl came through. "He seems fine, but."  
  
"It's a good thing you found him before the others. He could be a danger to the others."  
  
"You really think it's wise to talk to him before you know what kind of power he has? Come on, Prof, you know how ugly they can get. Some of them don't even want to be here, they just.don't have anywhere else to go."  
  
The kid tied up his shoelaces, and looked across to the kid on the bed. This kid must be a - mutant?  
  
"Well, they all have a choice, Logan. I offer the best one they can have at this time, though. Oh, and thank you for bringing Scott to my office first. That kept the others from seeing our visitor."  
  
"No problem, Chuck. Still, I think I'll be there when you greet him. I can protect you from whatever he can do. Especially when he learns he can't leave,"  
  
"Now, Logan."  
  
The kid gasped, cutting him off. He knew instantly this was a mistake, as footsteps and a slight whirring started toward the door.  
  
He fell on his knees, as voices started up in his head.  
  
Really?Yeah what is going to is this a party whenwemovingwhattimePARTYloganpushingthemhurtingpainopendoorpowersoutofcontr ol-  
  
"AAUGGHHH!!" he screamed, as it all became too much.  
  
The door opened, but he ignored it. He fell on his side, the voices louder than a gong, booming in his head, and the voices-  
  
Stopped.  
  
He looked up, and saw the man in his wheelchair rubbing his forehead slightly. Apart from being completely bald, this man looked like he had power. He could feel it, almost as if it was a shield of some kind.  
  
The man next to him just looked angry, as the kid pushed himself off the ground.  
  
"Xavier, meet our new guest. Guess you'd better come in here and chat with him, kid." 


	4. New Beginning Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
The man next to him just looked angry, as the kid pushed himself off the ground.  
  
"Xavier, meet our new guest. Guess you'd better come in here and chat with him, kid."  
  
He walked into the office, and looked around. It looked almost cosy, with a roaring fireplace, a very big couch and leather one-seater. The room was decorated like the interior of a log cabin, but a lot more plush, and aromatic, with a lot of room.  
  
He felt the voices pushing back in slightly, but he was able to hold them back himself. The older man talking distracted him.  
  
"Hello, My name is Professor Xavier. I'm the headmaster and owner of this institute, a school for children with certain.abilities. This here," and he indicated the large, blue-haired gentlemen with the scowl on his face behind him, "is Logan. He is a teacher here at the institute."  
  
He winced, and held a hand to his forehead. Logan picked up 2 cups of coffee from the table nearby, and handed one to Xavier, the other he took himself. His eyes locked on the kid sitting on the couch, never taking his eyes off him as he sipped his coffee.  
  
"What did you do?" the kid asked. Xavier frowned slightly, and looked at him.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"In my head? I know it was you, because it's just quietened down again, after you rubbed your head. What did you do?"  
  
Logan sighed, and looked at Xavier. "Up to you, chuck," he said, shrugging.  
  
Xavier looked at the kid, as he sat there in his jeans, leather jacket, red cap and muffler, covering his face. He decided to tell the truth.  
  
"This school is more than just a school, Mr?" his eyebrows raised in question.  
  
"Brad. Brad Dolan." Brad sat a little longer, quiet. Xavier sighed again.  
  
"This school is a school for mutants. Mutants are humans who are slightly. more advanced than normal people. They have certain abilities. For instance, Wolverine here has advanced healing abilities and a skeleton made of adamantium." Sharp lances shot up through Logan's skin, between the knuckles, then slid slowly back in. "There are others here who have abilities which are a lot harder to control, which is what this school is here for. We teach any mutants that we can find to control their abilities, and use their abilities for what is right, not what is easy."  
  
"I know about mutants, it's why I came out here, to find you and this school." Brad fidgeted on the couch, and looked over his shoulder.  
  
"Why did you do that, Mr Dolan?" Xavier asked, while steepling his fingers in front of his face.  
  
"Well, a part of it is what you've been repressing for the last few minutes."  
  
"The voices? But that is merely psychic abilities. Cerebro - the machine we use to detect new mutants - told me that you were slightly more advanced than other mutants." Xavier looked at Logan, surprised.  
  
"No, not just the voices. I only heard the voices when you approached me. As much as I can gather, I have two abilities. One, I am faster, stronger, and basically better than normal humans. Two, I absorb energy from my surroundings. Whether it be heat, cold or mutant energy, I absorb it. Clothing helps slightly, which is why I was wearing all that clothing."  
  
"Yes, we noticed," Xavier said, deep in thought. "This might pose a problem. Your first ability is mild compared to, say, Scott Summers condition. But your second power might pose a problem to the other students. Some of them have well, more powerful abilities, which need control. It is a good thing you have arrived here at the weekend, as we can have you settled in as soon as possible." He turned to Logan. "Logan, find a place for the lad to sleep for tonight." He turned back to Brad. "Do you know your range?" he inquired.  
  
"Pardon?" Brad asked, puzzled.  
  
"How far your draining can affect you?"  
  
"Um, no, I never checked."  
  
"Well, then, we had better place you in a room which is single, such as the E block which has-"  
  
Wolverine coughed.  
  
"Sorry, chuck, out of bounds. Remember, the E block is down for at least the next few weeks due to building repairs. There was that scuffle."  
  
"Ah, yes. Is there anywhere you can think of?"  
  
Wolverine scratched his chin. "You know, he could bunk in Rogues room for the time being. I'm sure she wouldn't mind - as long as she has the right persuasion." He grinned.  
  
Xavier smiled slightly, and nodded. "Brad, follow Logan to your room for tonight. I'll have more permanent lodgings for you as soon as possible. And I would like to meet you here again tomorrow afternoon. Have a long lie in, and I'll try my best to figure out a way of you to meet the other students without blowing them up."  
  
Brad paled, but nodded. As he left the room, he asked Wolverine, "What scuffle? Is this place dangerous?"  
  
Xavier heard Wolverine chuckle, and say, "Not if you know how to duck."  
  
***  
  
Brad was led through the mansion. As they walked, he admired the expensive decorum. Xavier must have hundreds of dollars to keep a place like this, he thought. He walked through a room with a table, big enough to seat 30 people comfortably. They then passed through double doors to the lounge, which had a TV, snooker table, and bar. Through a right hand door, and into the kitchen. Through the other side of the kitchen and into the entrance hall.  
  
As they walked up a deck of stairs in the main hall, Brad thought, Wow, this place is huge! And not even a hint of a door to the basement. That must have been where I was before.  
  
"This is the floor which you will be the most familiar with, I reckon," Logan next to him growled. "And here are your quarters for tonight. Remember, a lie in tomorrow, and in the afternoon you'll meet Xavier. If he and I have figured out your problem by then, you might be able to join a game of tag out in the grounds. Now, go on, and go to sleep. You must be tired." He snorted, as if he disapproved of sleep, and walked back the way they came.  
  
Brad looked at the door nervously, wondering what might manifest in him in the room. He picked up his courage, opened the door, and stepped inside, closing the door after him.  
  
The room was dark, but he could see clearly. There were 2 beds, and 2 had people in them. Before he could see them, he quickly went to a chest of drawers, pulled out a thick, knobbly sweater and pulled on as many layers of clothes as he could. He may look and feel like a stuffed hamster, but at least he was safe from any effects. He hoped.  
  
Luckily, he didn't have to look far to find some blankets. There were blankets in the drawer underneath the first one, and he pulled a few out and lay down on the floor in a corner of the room unoccupied by anything. He felt roasted, but he lay underneath the blanket anyway, for more protection. He had found a blow-up airbed, which he wouldn't blow up due to the fact he might wake up his new roommates. He lay on top of it, and felt the hard, cold floor seep up into his bones. He sighed. Compared to the last few nights he'd been living, this was at least someplace warm, instead of continuous journeying.  
  
He pushed his head back, and felt a slight cushioning. Silently, the airbed was blowing itself up! He must have released a mechanism when he lay down on it. In a few moments, the airbed was sufficiently inflated to lie upon comfortably. He lay down upon it again, and looked at the ceiling. He hadn't had the heart to tell Xavier or the Wolverine guy that he didn't need sleep, due to all the energy he absorbed, not after all the help that they'd given him. They'd agreed to take him in; they'd agreed to help him. He didn't even have any money to pay Xavier for his help. The best thing was, his father would never, ever find him here. He didn't even need to unpack. He sighed again, and looked out the huge windows of his new home, wondering how long it was till morning, where his father was, and what it felt like to be able to dream. 


End file.
